Chapter 19: Chapter Eighteen

On Saturday morning we finished our jogging route through town, it was early, and within five miles we were all sweating in the morning heat, it was going to be a hot day. Few people were awake this early on a weekend, shopkeepers mostly.

“Morning, Mr. Callaghan, do you need help with those boxes?” I asked as I stopped in front of the grocery store.

“Just the boys I was hoping to run into,” he said with a smile.

“Come on, guys,” I said.

“I’d really appreciate it if you boys could help me carry the stock inside to the storeroom,” he said.

Half an hour later the boxes were stacked neatly inside his already cramped storeroom. We had gotten to somewhat get to know Mr. Callaghan on our morning runs as he prepared to open his store at six am.

“Thanks, boys, grab a water for yourselves on the house,” he said like he did most days when we helped him with something.

“Thank you, Mr. Callaghan,” I said and left the money on the counter.

Alexander had taught us that even when it was offered, we shouldn’t accept it. This was his way of making a living, even if we did do him a favor, we didn’t go into it with the idea of getting something in return. It shouldn’t be the reason why we helped him.

“Why do you always pay him?” Endri asked as we resumed our jog.

“We’re literally taking money from him if we don’t, this is his source of income and we help him because we can, not because we can get something in return,” I said.

“Yes, Alexander,” Endri said, and I laughed.

By the time we reached the farm we were winded, sweating, and out of breath. We fell down on the grass because we always raced each other the last half mile to the farm. Alexander stepped into view as I opened my eyes and looked down at us.

“Go get the tires in the barn,” Alexander said with a wink as we groaned.

The tires reached our chests, and we rolled them to the open field. The exercise regime included flipping the tires the length of the field and back, with me repeating that process five times. We would then tie a length of rope around our waists and tie the other end to the tire as we ran the field, me doing it five times instead of once like the rest.

This would usually be followed by either finishing up with push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, a sparring session in the ring and then swimming laps to warm down. Flipping the tires worked our core strength, our arms, and our shoulder muscles. It was grueling work and my arms burned by lap three.

“This is akin to torture,” Castiel said as he sat on the grass and tied the rope around his waist.

“The sooner we finish, the sooner we have the rest of the weekend to relax,” Sloan said.

“Kage, at the first marker give me ten push-ups, at the second marker ten sit-ups, at the third and fourth repeat those with twenty,” Alexander said.

“I want to be cremated,” Miles said as Alexander blew his whistle.

Every muscle burned as I passed the guys sitting on the side watching me. By the fifth lap I was vomiting, and this was usually when Alexander called a halt to our training for the day, but the whistle remained silent. I felt drained and everything hurt, and I wanted to lie down on the grass and close my eyes.

“You’re almost done, Kage!” Endri yelled as I started with the last twenty push-ups.

I fell in front of Alexander and turned on my back as he looked down at me. I had watched him one night with his own workout regime and he pushed himself harder than he did me. I didn’t really know when he slept, he was always roaming some part of the house.

“Good job guys,” he said, “put the tires away and warm down in the pool.”

He started walking away when he stopped suddenly and turned back. “There’s a girl standing by the corner of the house, is she one of yours?”

I looked up towards the house and I saw her standing there, leaning against the side of the house. I lowered my head again as I stood up and untied the rope from my waist and made my way towards her. I had no idea why she was here, and I had to wonder why she’d stayed and watched us.

It was an uncomfortable feeling; one I wasn’t sure what to do with. We weren’t friends, we were barely acquaintances, and yet, here she was, at my house, uninvited.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her as I tried to control my breathing.

“I heard about the fight,” she said. She kept staring at the purple edges around my eye and I averted my gaze.

“Kage!” Castiel yelled and I turned to look at him as he motioned something with his hands.

“Come on, we need to warm down,” I said.

Madison followed me back down to the field where I got my tire and rolled it back to the barn where we stacked them against each other and stripped off our shirts and shoes. My brothers were semi-quiet when they saw Madison sit down on a bench.

“What’s she doing here?” Sloan asked me in a whisper.

“No clue, she said that she heard about the fight,” I said.

“Obviously, she likes you, Kage. Why else would she be here?” Miles asked.

“I’m seeing a little Kage junior in your future,” Castiel said and he ducked as I tried to slap him behind his head.

“Last one in makes breakfast!” Endri yelled and ran for the indoor pool.

We dove in and started swimming our twenty laps. The water was like heaven, cool against my skin and it felt refreshing. I finished third, Madison watching me being more of a distraction than I thought it would be.

We toweled off and I pulled the shirt over my head again as I walked to where Madison sat looking out of place and somewhat nervous. She didn’t meet my eyes as my brothers piled past us with a blunt hello thrown her way.